The Word of Dragontitan: Book 10, Rise of a Shadow
by Titantnt
Summary: With Niek gone, the universe is at peace at last. Or, so they thought. Problems pile up as Etamin becomes mentally unstable, Nashira undergoes a strange transformation and a new enemy appears with a whole universe backing him up! Or is he just a puppet of someone Will met a long time ago?


Marvin took aim at the large gate in front of him. Christiaan kleeled left of him, his RPG primed and ready. Jodide and his FAL, Sweder and his SAW and right of him sat Willem, a large freeze spell ready to be cast. But Despite all that, they all knew that whatever was behind that door, would walk right through thier vangaurd.

The Shadow had his troops spread all over the universe. He was unstoppable. So Etamin came with the idea to release public enemy number one from Tartarus.

Marvin didn't understand how she of all persons managed to reason them into doing this. She was a mental wrek ever since the universe was recreated by them. Searching for something. Perhaps she was searching for whatever lived, or died, behind this gate. Nothing was allowed to stand in her way. Nothing.

Marvin wondered what the gate would mean to her. They were on a mission to find a creature more powerfull than them, closed inside a prison that had kept him there since the beginning. How was she going to open it then? He was just about to find out.

As a greyscale himself, he knew the energy building within her was for producing a Grey Wind, but there was something diffirent in the energy. It was the same kind of magic, a sonic blast. But it's origin was nowhere near greyscale magic.

"Marvin, she isn't going to use a Grey Wind here, is she?" Christiaan asked him, genuine scared.

Marvin wondered if Etamin knew - in her wrecked state - that a Grey Wind was devastating inside here. The tunnel was only a few meters in diameter, so there wasn't much space for the Grey Wind to go to.

"She is." Jodide replied. "Willem, cast a barrier!"

Willem was just in time creating a barrier around them when Etamin began to roar towards the door.

The whole tunnel started to shake and rumble under the seer power of the roar. It was Willem's barrier that protected them, but Marvin could still hear the cry.

The roar carried the fire of her thoughts. Being a Minstril himself, he could hear her thoughts over her roar. But the words didn't make sense.

"Give me back my husband!"

What did she mean by that? Everyone knew Etamin was merried. But nobody knew to who. There was not the slightest record of him. Not even Zadiac knew him.

Etamin closed her mouth and fell to her knees. The roar turned into a real cry. The same she had for months now.

It was over for her. After everything that stood in her way, something stopped her. She tore the dimentional veil of Tartarus appart, turned the Guardians of Tartarus into ash, walked through every protective barrier like it was thin air. But now, a gate stopped her.  
It was to be expected, of course. It was meant to keep the most evil creature in the universe at bay, so why would it let Etamin pass?

Willem dispelled his barrier and the five boys stood up. Marvin looked with pity at the wrecked girl. She wailed and scratched the door. Marvin kept hearing "Give my husband back. Give me my husband back."

Marvin felt he was close to the truth. Who was imprisoned behind that door?

He heard Etamin wail again. But this time was far stranger than the ones before. It wasn't much of a wail, but more of a howl. Why would Etamin howl too? First Nashira, then Etamin... Why would the howl?

Marvin noticed a sertain traid in the howl. The pitch became higher and lower and seemingly random moments. What was she trying to do? It wasn't a song either, for as far as Marvin knew. It was something diffirent.

Suddenly, Etamin stopped at a sudden pitch. She kept howling the same tone, but louder and louder. Bluish flaming orbs appeared all around her and started to fly into the wall. Then she stopped.

Even this strange magic attack had no effect.

Etamin stood a little up, stopping to the point where she stoot on hands and knees. She growled. But not like a dragon. More like a wolf.  
Was she turning into a wolf too?  
No, her wings and her dragontail stayed. But the energy around her changed. She started to howl again in the same continues note from before and again bluish flames appeared andt turned colder. Not because of the magic, but because of the absence of it. The flames were draining its seroundings off all magic.

It did not mind taking that energy from friend or foe either. Marvin felt his energy being drained rapidly. Willem noticed it too. "Guys, I don't know what's hapopening, but we should get out of here!"

"Can't argue with that!" Marvin said and the Knights retreated to a saver distance. Marvin could feel it when they left the bubble around Etamni, as his energy wasn't drained anymore. But as he stuck his hand inside the bubble again, it was all gone. Every single trace of magic was gone.

Without any magic in the seroundings, the gate couldn't draw any more energy into it to keep the spell stable and within moments there were sprakles all over it and suddenly it was gone.

Marvin's mouth practily fell open. Did Etamin just short-curcuit what could be the most protective spell in the universe?

She was a mental wreck, but she was still a genius.

Etamin pushed the doors open like a little child would and crawled on hands and feet through the gate. Past the gate was only pure darkness and as Etamin disappeared into the darkness, the gates closed behind her.

The Knights walked towards the door, noticing that the energy around them had returned and so the gate wouldn't open for them.

Willem tried to do the same as Etamin did, but it didn't work at all. "Whatever Etamin did, it is on a whole diffirent scale than what I can."

"She sure is."

* * *

They waited for the door to open again. It simply opened. Maybe it was Etamin's doing the lock failed to keep the creature inside.

The creature, standing on two legs and looked much like a human, walked out. His clothes were ragged and torn, but otherwise clean. He was tearing the last remaining bits of a piece of bone.

What troubled Marvin was that Etamin didn't follow him. The creature threw the bone next to him on the ground and licked the bluish blood from his lips. "That was one great meal, you know." He said. The same moment a little dark blue kejone landed on his shoulder, sporting the same blood on her cheeks.

It didn't take long for Marvin to connect the gruewsome dots. "Y-you ate Etamin?"

The creature grinned and behind him wagged tthe tail of a wolf.

* * *

**A/N:I'm back from gone! How long haven't I uploaded anything already? A few months?**  
**Now, for those who read the previous version of this story: I disliked the way I started it too much and rewrote it. It was too spoily and I like it this way, way more!**

**But aren't we curious now? Who is the creature? And did he really eat Etamin?**  
**You'll find out in... a hell of a lot chapters as per usual! ;)**  
**I hope you enjoyed this flash-forward and I hope you continue reading!**

**Thanks for reading and please review! :3**


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